Saturday, August 30, 2014

Taking the Leap

Super-hero in Town

Watching a movie being made in Station Road or even finding a superhero, waiting at the bus-stop, is an everyday occurrence in Westgate-on-Sea these days. Then there's our own local version of Top Gear running around the streets after midnight, frequently repeated several times a week.

I wonder if we could persuade the super-heroes to stay-up into the early hours to deal with boy-racers? I'm having very little visible luck with police to date; even with the assistance of our Member of Parliament.

Anti-social behaviour in Westgate, is, I'm sure somewhere lower down on the police list of priorities, particularly when you consider the mayhem that can occur elsewhere on the island but it would be nice to see a little action, as they now have most, if not all of the number-plates and I really couldn't make it easier for them.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you may have spotted that I'm playing with Google Glass. I've just been into Westgate to have corrective lenses ordered and so should you see me wandering around looking like one of The Borg from Star Trek, you'll know why' it's taking a little getting used to, having a head-up display in front of my right eye all the time, feeding me information from the Internet.

Back to the real world and we are, of course, a small island of dog-lovers and here in Thanet, it's 'Staffies' you are more likely to see on our streets than any other breed.

Having stumbled across this video on YouTube, I wonder how many of our local pets and their owners might be up to the remarkable challenge, shown below? The dog doesn't appear too worried but then nobody has explained to him in any great detail, what the risks are.

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I owned an English bull terrier when we lived in Midlands and I got some videos made by a man who trained bull breeds etc in sports to channel their natural traits into that activity. Weight pulling (I think there may have been events held at Sheffield Hallam University). High jump even swimming.

On swimming Staffies have apparently won retrieving comps. But they are not as positive buoyant as say labradors and the terrier needs propulsion to compensate. And of course a lab can be in sub zero seas for ten hours but a Staffie cannot take the cold.

I wonder if the guy who made these training videos is the same man who was running Staffie training sessions in Westgate Simon ?

For running on bike lead I used a trail harness which is the sort of thing Sherlock Holmes bloodhound would have used to tow a handler along on a scent. Not suitable as a weight drawing take off.

For weight pulling I got a made to measure harness from Culpepper Harness (A husky sled team man)

There has just been an attack on a guide dog puppy by a Staffie. irresponsible owners are making menaces of their dogs.

Be aware that if you train a bull terrier for running on a mountain bike lead and towing tyres or even weight sled pulling (Don't start too young vet will tell you when bones are developed) the exercise requirement increases. The ruddy things get fitter faster than their owners !!